Method of forming a container and apparatus therefor



3 Sheets-Sheet l A, B. WILSON Filed April 16, 1935 Nov. 24, 1936.

METHOD OF FORMING A CONTAINER AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Nov. 24, 1936. A. B. WILSON 2,062,112

METHOD OF FORMING A CONTAINER AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Filed April 16, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Galen/,5. Wilson Nov. 24, 1936. A. B. WILSON METHOD OF FORMING A CONTAINER AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Filed April 16, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 777III Patented Nov. 24, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF FORMING A CONTAINER AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Allen B. Wilson, Evanston, Ill., assignor to Acme Steel Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois This invention relates to improvements in containers of the type in which an annular nonmetallic wall is united with an end wall by means of an annular metallic rim and the principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved method of and apparatus for assembling a container of the type which is described and claimed in my co-pending application Serial No. 759,838, filed December 31, 1934. A further obj ect of the invention is to provide a container comprising an annular non-metallic wall in combination with an end wall and an annular metallic rim having a flange to underlie the end wall and having inwardly extending projections adapted to penetrate the annular wall when that wall is expanded from its normal collapsed condition, in combination with improved means for expanding said annular wall and causing said end wall to assume its proper position resting on the flange of said rim. Still another object of the invention is to provide an expanding device adapted to be inserted within a. collapsible non-metallic wall for the purpose of expanding this wall into cylindrical form preliminary to placing an end wall within said annular wall and then applying to the end of said annular wall an annular metallic rim having projections adapted to penetrate said annular wall and having an inwardly directed flange adapted to engage and support said end wall. Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved method of forming a container according to which a resilient substantially cylindrical expanding device is inserted within the collapsible non-metallic wall of a container to expand this wall into cylindrical form after which there is brought into engagement with the end of said annuar wall an annular metallic rim having inwardly extending projections adapted to penetrate said annular wall and having an inwardly directed flange adapted to support said end wall, these steps being followed by the operation of inverting the parts of the container and employing the expanding device as a weight for forcing the end wall into its proper position wherein it seats on said flange and forces said annular wall outwardly to cause the penetration thereof by said projections. Another object of the invention is to provide an improved method of forming a container according to which an expanding device is employed for causing a collapsible wall to assume an annular cylindrical form, after which this expanding device is employed for supporting said wall during the operation of applying to and crimping upon the edge of said annular wall a metallic protecting rim. Other objects relate to various features of construction and arrangement and to details of the method of forming the container which will appear more fully hereinafter.

The nature of the invention will be understood from the following specification taken with the accompanying drawings, in which one embodiment of the improved container and. one form of the improved expanding device are illustrated in connection with one method of assembling the improved container. In the drawings,

Fig. 1 shows a top plan view of the improved expanding device when it is in its normal cylindrical form;

Fig. 2 shows a top plan View of the expanding device illustrated in Fig. 1, when it has been contracted to permit it to be inserted Within the collapsible annular Wall of a container;

Fig. 3 shows a side elevation of the expanding device illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 shows a vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to that of Fig.

4, illustrating a modified form of expanding device;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the top rim of the container;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the annular nonmetallic Wall of the container in its collapsed state; I

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the bottom rim of the container;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the bottom wall of the container;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the complete container;

Fig. 11 is an axial section through the annular wall, end wall and bottom rim of the container and the expanding device shown in Fig. 1, illustrating the step of inserting the end wall and applying the bottom rim with the parts of the container in inverted positions;

Fig. 12 is a sectional view similar to that of Fig. 11, showing the same parts after the container wall and expanding device have been inverted to cause the expanding device to force the end wall. downwardly against the flange of the rim;

Fig. 13 is a sectional view similar to that of Fig. 12, showing the parts of the container and the expanding device after they have again been reversed from the position shown in Fig. 12 and illustrating the use of the expanding device for supporting the annular wall of the container during the operation of applying the metallice top rim to the edge of the annular wall; and

Fig. 14 is an enlarged sectional view through the outer portion of the complete container illustrating the details of construction of the top and bottom rims and associated parts.

The improved expanding device of the present invention is illustrated particularly in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, and it comprises a substantially cylindrical metallic shell 15 provided with overlapping edge portions l5 and IS the latter of which is curved inwardly to facilitate the sliding of one end portion over the other. The shell l5 has secured to the inner side thereof on opposite sides of the overlapping end portions I5 and I5 a pair of handles l5 which lie parallel to each other when the shell is in its normally expanded cylindrical form as shown in Fig. 1. The shell I5 is formed of flexible and resilient metallic material such as sheet steel or the like, and it is adapted to be contracted by gripping the spaced handles l5 and pressing them toward each other as shown in Fig. 2. The circumference of the expanding device is thus considerably reduced so that it may be inserted within a collapsible non-metallic wall of a container after which, when the handles l5 are released, the shell l5 expands due to its own resiliency and thus causes the non-metallic wall of the container to assume its cylindrical form. The outer diameter of the shell l5, when it is expanded,

is preferably slightly greater than that of the normal inner diameter of the annular n-onmetallic wall of the container so that when the expanding device is inserted, it applies an expanding pressure to the container wall and exerts a frictional grip thereon.

In Fig. 5 there is shown a modified form of expanding device comprising a resilient metallic shell l6 of normal cylindrical form having overlapping edges I 6 and I6 similar to those previously described and having handles Hi secured to the inner portions thereof. This expanding device differs from that previously described in that the lower edge thereof is tapered inwardly as shown at I6 and the upper edge thereof is flared slightly in an outward direction, as shown at IS. The flared portion l6 permits the lower end of the expanding device to occupy a position within the lower metallic rim of the container without interfering with the penetration of the annular wall by the punched projections of the rim, and the outwardly flared portion I6 is adapted to increase the frictional grip of the expanding device upon the container wall so that the expanding device will retain its position when the container is inverted as shown in Fig. 13 for the purpose of applying the top rim thereto.

In Fig. '7 there is shown the annular nonmetallic wall H in its collapsed state. This wall is formed from an elongated sheet of fibreboard or the like which has its ends overlapped and cemented or otherwise secured together as shown at Il This annular wall is adapted to be expanded by inserting therein the expanding device illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, so that the wall I! then assumes the cylindrical form shown in Fig. 11. With the end of the wall I! and one end of the expanding device 15 resting upon a support I8, as shown in Fig. 11, the end wall IS in the form of a non-metallic circular disk is then inserted within the projecting portion of the end wall I! until it rests upon what is then the upper end of the expanding shell IS. The parts arethen in readiness for the application to the upper end of the wall I! of the metallic rim 2|) which is to form the bottom rim of the container. This is a complete annular metallic rim having a cylindrical body portion 20' provided with overlapping ends which are welded or riveted together and having inwardly extending punched projections 20 in this body portion which are adapted to penetrate the annular non-metallic wall IT. This rim also comprises an inwardly extending transversely corrugated flange 20 which is adapted to underlie and support the end wall l9 when the container is completed. The body portion 20 of the rim 20 is adapted to fit closely the outer surface of the non-metallic wall I! and when the rim is placed over the end of the wall I1, as shown in Fig. 11, the inwardly extending punched projections 20 are adapted to score slightly the outer surface of the wall I1. When the rim 20 has been applied, the parts illustrated in Fig. 11 are then inverted so that they occupy the position illustrated in Fig. 12. By striking the bottom of the container against the supporting table or the like IS, the expanding device 15 may be caused to slide dovmwardly and force the end wall I9 to the position shown in Fig. 12, where it rests upon the inwardly directed transversely corrugated flange 20 of the rim and at the same time forces the lower edge portion of the annular wall I! outwardly so that it is penetrated to a greater extent by the punched projections 20' of the rim, thus forming an interlocking engagement between the rim and the container wall.

When the operations necessary to produce the arrangement shown in Fig. 12 have been completed, the parts are in readiness for the application of the top rim of the container which is applied to the edge of the annular wall I! projecting beyond the end of the expanding device I5, at the end of the assembly opposite the end wall l9. This top rim 22 has the form shown particularly in Fig. 14 and is formed as a complete annular member before it is applied to the edge of the wall [1. It comprises an annular metallic band 22 having an outwardly extending rib 22 formed therein'having its lower edge outwardly flared as shown at 22. The top portion of the metal band is bent inwardly as shown at 22 and thence downwardly and inwardly as shown by dotted lines 22 to form an overhanging lip or flange provided at its lower edge with an inwardly flared part 22. After placing the open flared rim 22 over the top edge of the annular wall IT, with the container in the upright position shown in Fig. 12, the container is inverted and the rim is rolled into interlocking engagement with the annular wall as shown in Fig. 13. During this operation, the flange 22 is forced outwardly against the wall I! with the result that the edge 1'2 of the flange forces a portion of the non-metallic wall ll into the groove 22 which is formed by the rib 22* while at the same time the edge 2'2 forms an indentation in the wall I1. An interlocking connection is thus established between the annular wall I! and the metallic top rim. This form of rim and the method of applying it to the container wall are described and claimed in my co-pending application Serial No. 16,641, filed April 16, 1935. When the rim 22 has been applied, the expanding device l5 may be removed by again contracting it as shown in Fig. 2, and the container is then in readiness to be filled.

Although one form of the improved container with one example of the improved expanding device has been illustrated and described in connection with the disclosure of one example 01' the improved method of forming the container, it will be understood that the invention may be constructed in other forms and may be practiced in various ways coming within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An expanding device for a collapsible annular wall of a container, comprising a normally cylindrical metallic expanding device adapted to be contracted to be inserted within said annular wall and to expand due to its own resiliency when released to press said annular wall into cylindrical form.

2. An expanding device for a collapsible annular wall of a container, comprising a longitudinally slitted normally cylindrical resilient metallic expanding device having its edges overlapping, and means for contracting said device and effecting relative movement of said overlapped edges to permit the insertion thereof within said annular wall.

3. An expanding device for a collapsible annular wall of a container comprising a normally cylindrical expanding device formed of resilient metal and having longitudinal edges adapted to overlap, and handles secured to the inner side of said expanding device on opposite sides of said edges whereby upon pressing said handles toward each other said device may be contracted to permit its insertion within said annular wall.

4. An expanding device for the annular wall of a container comprising an expansible resilient metallic member of normally cylindrical form, and a pair of handles secured to the inner side of said member and adapted by relative movement to effect the contraction of said member.

5. An expanding device for the annular wall of a container comprising an expansible resilient metallic member of normally cylindrical form, and a pair of handles secured to the inner side of said member and adapted by relative movement to effect the contraction of said member, said member having longitudinal edges overlapping each other.

6. An expanding device for the annular wall of a container comprising an expansible resilient metallic member of normally cylindrical form, and a pair of handles secured to the inner side of said member and adapted by relative movement to effect the contraction of said member, said member having longitudinal edges overlapping each other, the inner one of said edges being inwardly curved.

7. The method of forming a container which consists in providing a collapsible non-metallic annular container wall, inserting within said container wall an expanding device adapted to expand said wall to cylindrical form, then inserting within said annular wall at one end of said expanding device the end Wall of said container, then applying to the end of said annular wall adjacent said end wall an annular metallic rim having an inwardly extending part adapted to be engaged by said end wall, and then reversing the position of said annular wall to cause the weight of said expanding device to force said end wall into engagement with said inwardly extending part.

8. The method of forming a container which consists in providing a collapsible non-metallic annular container wall, inserting within said container wall an expanding device adapted to expand said wall to cylindrical form, then inserting within said annular wall at one end of said expanding device the end Wall of said container, then applying to one end of said annular wall an annular metallic rim having parts adapted to project into said annular wall and having an inwardly extending flange adapted to be engaged by said end wall, and then inverting said annular wall to cause the weight of said expanding device to force said end wall into engagement with said flange and to expand said annular wall into interlocking engagement with said parts of said rim.

9. The method of forming a container which consists in providing a collapsible non-metallic annular container wall, inserting within said container wall an expanding device adapted to expand said wall to cylindrical form, then inserting within said annular wall at one end of said expanding device the end wall of said container, then applying to one end of said annular wall an annular metalic rim having parts adapted to project into said annular wall and having an inwardly extending flange adapted to be engaged by said end wall, then inverting said annular wall to cause the weight of said expanding device to force said end wall into engagement with said flange and to expand said annular wall into interlocking engagement with said parts of said rim, and then applying a metallic rim to the other end of said annular wall.

10. The method of forming a container which consists in providing a collapsible non-metallic annular container wall, inserting within said container wall an expanding device adapted to expand said wall to cylindrical form, then inserting within said annular wall at one end of said expanding device the end wall of said container, then applying to one end of said annular wall an annular metallic rim having parts adapted to project into said annular wall and having an inwardly extending flange adapted to be engaged by said end wall, then inserting said annular wall to cause the weight of said expanding device to force said end wall into engagement with said flange and to expand said annular wall into interlocking engagement with said parts of said rim, then applying a metallic rim to the other end of said annular wall, and then contracting said expanding device and removing it from the container.

ALLEN B. WILSON. 

